United Arab Emirates
Art, Culture and Human Interest Stories
Two radio stations, 89.4 Tamil FM and Radio Gilli, have brought a cultural change on the UAE’s airwaves, adding a Tamil flavour in the Indian expat radio scene dominated by Malayalam and Hindi channels
Prakash Adtani is the owner of Dubai restaurant Tum Tum Asia, which opened in 2017. An Indian raised in Dubai, Mr Adtani says he became an entrepreneur because of a lack of options to satisfy his vegetarian food cravings.
Deepa Bhatia is the co-founder and managing director of Capsule Arts, an arts consultancy in the Middle East that designs bespoke art and accessories packages for brands in the hospitality industry and office spaces. Ms Bhatia lives in Dubai with her husband, three-year-old son and nine-month-old daughter.
Clare Holburn-Archer is the chief marketing officer at Cafu, the region's first on-demand fuel delivery service app. Born and raised in Britain, Ms Holburn-Archer moved to Dubai in 2001 when she joined the Emirates Group in the corporate communications department. Passionate about building brands and brand equity, Ms Holburn-Archer lives in Dubai with her four-year-old twins.
Vandana Gandhi is the founder and chief executive of the British Orchard Nursery chain. Ms Gandhi, 44, was at the height of a successful banking career when she decided to quit and follow her entrepreneurial dream.
Taking a yacht cruise and viewing Dubai's famous architectural wonders from the sea is now high on the "to-do" list of most tourists and residents alike. In fact an increasing number of people want to sail a yacht themselves as the UAE gets more marinas and there are new sailing schools and boat clubs to join as the maritime leisure industry ramps up.
Rakesh Wahi is the founder of the ABN Group, a media holding company for CNBC Africa and Forbes Africa.
Ashok Soota, considered one of the Indian IT sector's pioneers, recently gave students the benefit of his wisdom at Sharjah International Book Fair
By Malavika Vettath Varma The 36th edition of the Sharjah International Book Fair saw Malayalam poetry fill the air as well-known poets took the stage, as a crowd over two thousand people eagerly listened. Noted poets Alankode Leelakrishnan and Anil Panachooran captivated the audience with their poetry, while sharing anecdotes and stories behind some of their famous works at 'Kavya Sandhya' (Evening of Poetry).
Over 2,000 expat Malayalis thronged the Sharjah International Book Fair as popular Malayalam film personalities - filmmakers Kamal, Aashiq Abu and actors Rima Kallingal and Anoop Menon - came together to celebrate not just cinema, but the written word as well. They released their own books, talked about serious issues like the patriotism debate, feminism and much more.
Brain: The Inside Story is presented in collaboration with the American Museum of Natural History in New York and promises to reveal the secrets of the human brain using state-of-the-art interactive installations.
Plugging into your 'inner-net' by practising mindfulness will keep you centred at work, according to Gopi Kallayil, Google's chief evangelist for brand marketing.
As chairman of the Sharjah Book Authority, Ahmed bin Rakkad Al Ameri is overseeing one of the most exciting literary events in the region - the Sharjah International Book Fair.
The Sharjah International Book Fair (SIBF) attracted a record 2.31 million visitors in its landmark 35th edition this year. But in this success narrative is an Indian face - in fact the only non-Arab one - who has been there right from the beginning of the journey.
An increasing number of books are being written on the Malayali diaspora, especially those living in the Gulf. What are the factors for this trend in Malayalam literature in the last decade or so?
A profile of Sheikha Jawaher bint Abdullah Al Qasimi, the director of Sharjah International Children's Film Festival.
The Sharjah International Children's Film Festival beginning on Sunday is the right platform for Syrian refugee children and adolescents in Lebanon to express themselves.
he traditional Arab marketplace for years served as a vibrant hub for social and cultural expression and Sharjah’s largest produce market has revived this concept this Ramadan. The imposing Souq Al Jubail has been drawing crowds not just to buy fish, meat and vegetables but also for traditional Arabic storytelling sessions, workshops on lantern making and Turkish art, and a special area hosting a mini dates festival.
There's something for children of all ages at the Emirates Airline Festival of Literature. Here are some events you wouldn't want them to miss.
As well as plays featuring the classical dance kathakali, there will be a performance featuring the traditional percussion thayambaka and a display of nangiarkoothu - a women-only offshoot of koodiyattam, the oldest surviving form of Sanskrit theatre, dating back 2,000 years.
Sharjah Book Authority chairman Ahmed Al Ameri said it was another bumper edition - ending last night - packed with book lovers, authors and publishing industry officials.
The young author of 11 novels is appearing this week at the Sharjah International Book Fair.
There's something for everyone at this year's Sharjah International Book Fair.
Emirati youngsters have been innovative with their story ideas and experimented with diverse genres and film styles in their films, about 15 of which are screening at the festival.
Award-winning authors, acting legends, acclaimed poets, celebrity chefs and a host of popular authors from South Asia are coming to The Sharjah International Book Fair.
The six-day annual festival returns on October 18 with educational and entertaining movies, some made by children, from across the world.
You'll still get by in the UAE if you know Hindi or Malayalam - a line often repeated in jest here. The UAE is home to 2.6 million Indian expats, the largest expat community constituting 30 percent of the total population!
Modi s visit will provide much-needed reassurance to Indians in the UAE that the Indian state values their contribution much like their NRI counterparts in the West
We talk to Sooraj Nambiar, Aparna Nangiar and Saritha Krishnakumar - the leading young faces of an Indian art form that is 2,000 years old.
The second phase of the International Koodiyattam and Kathakali Festival brings to Dubai a showcase of Kerala's traditional dances plus talks and demonstrations. Here's a guide to the three-day event.
An evening of Malayalam poetry attracted over 2,000 people, film stars Prithviraj and Parvathy released the screenplay of their latest hit film, veteran actor Balachandra Menon talked about his three decades in Malayalam films while noted Kerala percussionist Mattannur Sankarankutty Marar drummed his way into people's hearts - the Sharjah International Book Fair wooed the large Malayali diaspora in the UAE and from surrounding Gulf countries in many ways.
Diverse and distinct Indian cuisines from Hyderabad, Bengal and Malabar added flavour to the Sharjah International Book Fair's cookery corner this year with known Indian chefs like Nita Mehta and Ummi Abdulla sharing their kitchen secrets and cooking up culinary delights.
The Thathai Bhatia community numbers less than 15,000 worldwide, with about 6,000 of them in the UAE alone. The community, nowadays known loosely as a sub-sect of the Sindhis, may not have an official state to identify with but have their own distinct cuisine, customs and even music.
The Kerala-born dancer and actress Shobana, who brings her Bharatanatyam performance titled Shakti (Power) to Dubai on March 6, tells The National about how, for her, dance is a way of life and a celebration.
The Sharjah Children's Reading Festival opens tomorrow with more than 2,000 workshops, activities and author sessions at the emirate's Expo Centre under the theme "Discover Your City". Can't decide what to attend? Malavika Vettath picks the top six events in the line-up.
Eight music directors from Kerala will take the stage on Friday, February 20, at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium. The show is called Jamgraab, a title made up of the first letters of the names of the eight music directors - Jassie Gift, Alphons Joseph, Mejo Joseph, Gopi Sundar, Rahul Raj, Anil Johnson, Afzal Yusuf and Bijibal.
At The Bengali Film Festival Dubai, the actress tells us about her Bollywood plans, love of dance and the secret to her successful, career.
Noted filmmaker Srijit Mukherji returns to the UAE for the Bengali film festival Abhijaan with his latest film Chotushkone. He pulled off a coup of sorts by casting five directors in the film. His next project marks the Bengali-film debut of the former Miss Universe Sushmita Sen.
Noted filmmaker Srijit Mukherji returns to the UAE for the Bengali film festival Abhijaan with his latest film Chotushkone. He pulled off a coup of sorts by casting five directors in the film. His next project marks the Bengali-film debut of the former Miss Universe Sushmita Sen.
Leading Bengali actress Rituparna Sengupta walked the proverbial red carpet along with veteran actor Dhritiman Chatterjee and acclaimed director Srijit Mukherji among others, as Bengali expats in the UAE, craving to watch some cinema in their mother tongue, flocked to see seven of the finest and recent hit films from Tollywood at Bengali Film Festival Abhijaan in Dubai.
Dubai's annual Bengali film festival returns tomorrow on February 5 with seven of the latest thrillers from the Indian state of West Bengal, plus appearances by top stars, including the actors Rituparna Sengupta and Dhritiman Chatterjee, and the filmmakers Srijit Mukherji and Bauddhayan Mukherji.
Ravana, the most illustrious anti-hero of Indian mythology, will take centre stage at the International Koodiyattam and Kathakali Festival (IKKF) in Dubai this weekend. Bringing together ancient and highly structured classical performing arts from Kerala, the eighth edition of the festival will showcase Kathakali as well as thullal, a solo dance-theatre style known for its wit and humour.
It has seen 50 years of Indian community gatherings, boasts of third generation members using its myriad facilities, celebrates most Indian festivals with gusto and has even played host to celebrity cricketers and Bollywood stars over the years.
After six bestsellers, Chetan Bhagat's latest English novel, Half Girlfriend, is dedicated to the "non-English types". But that's not surprising coming from the popular Indian author, who's known to attract first-time readers to English-language books in his home country.
An eclectic line-up of top Indian authors, including Amish Tripathi, Amitav Ghosh, Chetan Bhagat and Shiv Khera, a Malayalam poetry night, around 100 Indian publishers displaying their books in diverse fields and languages, and exciting cookery sessions - the India Pavilion at the Sharjah International Book Fair sure got the recipe for success right, drawing huge crowds and massive book sales.
Fantasy and adventure meet mythology and philosophy in Amish Tripathi's best-selling Shiva Trilogy novels, which have sold 2 million copies and have been translated into 14 languages. The author, the current toast of Indian literary circles, says he always looks forward to visiting.
How many 14-year-olds can boast of having authored a book? Well, young NRI Rebecca Mary John has written not one but two! She has just released her second book of poems, making her the youngest author at the Sharjah International Book Fair (SIBF) 2014.
Read 'Malayalam 'Kavyasandhya' attracts huge crowd in Sharjah' on Yahoo Maktoob News. Sharjah, Nov 11 (IANS) Poetry sessions are usually attended by a motley audience not numbering over 100 unless there is a celebrity presence. But an evening of Malayalam poetry in Sharjah attracted nearly 2,000 people, much to the surprise of the poets themselves.
Next month, children in the UAE will enjoy a marathon six days at the movies. The second edition of the Sharjah International Children's Film Festival (SICFF) will bring 112 films from 35 countries to the screen - films made for children, and many of them made by children, too.
Her kitchen karma has literally taken her places. Rajasthan-born chef and author Vandana Jain is cooking up quite a vegetarian storm in the otherwise meat-loving Dubai. Starting off by conducting community cooking classes in Tanzania to winning the Best Indian Cuisine Book in the World at the Oscars of cook books in Paris, she is slowly but passionately promoting vegetarianism inside people's homes.
The India pavilion at this year's Sharjah International Book Fair packs quite a literary punch, offering a rare chance to meet some of India's leading writers and performers and talk to them about their work.
A standing ovation, thunderous applause and loud cheers welcomed him every time he walked into a packed hall. The former Indian president A P J Abdul Kalam ignited the imagination of thousands of his young fans in the UAE, urging them to read more, plant trees and sharing his mantra of world peace: making your mother happy.
"It's never too early or too late to make friends with books," says Ahmed Al Ameri, the director of the Sharjah International Book Fair and the Sharjah Children's Reading Festival, which runs until Friday.
Sharjah, Nov 9 (IANS) It is rare to see an Indian language being celebrated by thousands of people on foreign soil. But that's exactly what happened in Sharjah where Malayalam literary giants came together with over 2,000 Indians to celebrate the language being bestowed classical status. Malayalam litterateurs like Kavalam Narayana Pannikkar, K.
There won't be a single dull moment for kids at the Sharjah International Book Fair this year. Besides browsing thousands of titles, they can meet their favourite authors, listen to stories from around the world, try their hand at experimental science, watch movies, dabble in digital photography or even make their own organic shampoo.
Comic-art workshops, storytelling sessions, puppet shows, plays and even learning how to make ice cream - the Sharjah International Book Fair has more that 200 activities for children. Here are five of the fun sessions not to be missed.
Mohiniyattam means the dance of the divine enchantress and, staying true to its name, the Indian dancer Neena Prasad takes the stage in Dubai with Anubhava, showcasing the classical-dance style from the southern Indian state of Kerala.
Not many women in India choose a Sanskrit theatre that's more than 2,000 years old as their profession. But Margi Sathi not only picked koodiyattam, she also contributed immensely to the evolution of a strong feminine narrative of the ancient art form, while resuscitating nangiarkoothu, a women-only offshoot that dates back to the 10th century.
The 76-year-old Indian classical flautist Hariprasad Chaurasia, who will perform in Dubai on Friday, says the love he gets from the UAE is what keeps him coming back to the city. "I like Dubai a lot and Indians there have contributed in making it more beautiful," he says.
Discover Friends for Life - that's the tagline of the sixth edition of the Sharjah Children's Reading Festival. Aimed at igniting children's imaginations, the festival has a mind-boggling 1,694 events lined up. And, like every year, all these events are free.
Bollywood stars, fashion designers, business honchos and young entrepreneurs came together in a heady mix of style and success to honour achievers in diverse fields from the Asian community at the Masala! Awards 2013 held in Dubai. The celebrities dazzled in their designer outfits on the red carpet, keeping shutterbugs busy at Madinat Jumeirah on Thursday night.
By Malavika Vettath Sharjah, Nov 18: A star-studded author line-up, includingformer president A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, Ruskin Bond, Kamal Haasan and RavinderSingh, best-sellers, higher publisher participation and a wide variety of booksin diverse languages on sale drew massive crowds to the Indian Pavilion at theSharjah International Book Fair (SIBF), making it a runaway hit.
Indian cinema has lots to offer away from the mainstream Bollywood entertainment. And a mixed sample of independent films is what the Dubai International Film Festival (DIFF) is bringing together this year - whether it's a dark cop thriller, a Malayalam film on romance amid the classical arts, a hard-hitting feature on female foeticide or the already acclaimed movie The Lunchbox.
In celebrating a century of Indian film, DIFF moved beyond popular -Bollywood stories and images, says Malavika Vettath The Dubai International Film Festival (DIFF) celebrated 100 years of Indian cinema last week, allowing audiences to savour the country's unique flavours and rich culture with screenings of independent films and a panel discussion about a so-called "new wave" of filmmakers in the country - and Bollywood was conspicuously missing.
Leaving her banking career after reaching its top echelons was the changing point of her life. Founder and CEO of UAE's only ISO certified nursery school chain, Vandana Gandhi has raised the bar in pre-primary education, with the Dubai government's Quality Appreciation Award being the latest trophy on her shelf.
The former Indian president Dr A P J Abdul Kalam, the south Indian superstar Kamal Haasan, the Malayalam filmmaker Adoor Gopalakrishnan and the children's author Ruskin Bond - the star line-up at the Indian Pavilion at this year's Sharjah International Book Fair is surely a crowd-puller, and not just for the wide range of books on offer.
''It's best time for Kerala percussion'' on Yahoo News Maktoob. Dubai, June 4 (IANS) He is arguably Kerala's most famous percussionist. Mattannur Sankaran Kutty, known for working magic on Kerala's traditional chenda drum, says "it is the best time for Kerala percussion" as it now crosses myriad boundaries of caste, religion and gender.
Always wanted to learn how to make hammour and rice in the authentic Arab style? Then the Kuwaiti chef Arafat Al Arbash is the right personfor you. At the Sharjah International Book Fair, Al Arbash whipped up one of the favourite fish dishes from the region.
Traditional Indian classical dances by renowned artists and skilful shadow play is what the Soorya India Festival brings this week to Abu Dhabi and Dubai. Featuring a cross--section of Indian culture, the festival presents the South Indian classical dance style of bharatnatyam by the dancer Rama Vaidyanathan, while the kathak exponent Rani Khanam brings a North Indian flavour.
Mastering Kerala's traditional art forms, the theatre-dance kathakali or the 2,000-year-old Sanskrit theatre koodiyattam - which Unesco recognises as part of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity - is no easy feat. It involves years of physical training and lessons in music, the ancient language of Sanskrit and Hindu scriptures.
Colour, intense drama, a classical theatre form dating 2,000 years, high-octane percussion - immerse yourself in all this and more at the International Koodiyattam and Kathakali Festival (IKKF) in Dubai from Thursday until Monday. Showcasing ancient and highly structured classical performing arts from the Indian state of Kerala, the seventh edition of the IKKF fittingly coincides with UAE's National Day, celebrating the country's multicultural tapestry.
The colour and sheer drama of Kerala's traditional theatre-dance kathakali, the rich repertoire of koodiyattam, the oldest surviving Sanskrit theatre, and a high-octane percussion ensemble - an unparalleled cultural feast showcasing Kerala's ancient art forms enlivened Dubai this past weekend. The four-day International Koodiyattam and Kathakali Festival lived up to what it promised - exotic art at its finest.
The rhythmic, geometric patterns of bharatanatyam and the graceful pirouettes of kathak came together to create magic on stage, showcasing two distinct styles of Indian classical dance, while a skilful interlude of shadow-play enchanted audiences. All these happened at the two-day Soorya India Festival, held on Wednesday and Thursday at Abu Dhabi's India Social and Cultural Centre and the Indian High School in Dubai.
The 32nd edition of the Sharjah International Book Fair promises to be bigger and better than past years. Come November 6, Sharjah will see the biggest authors, poets, celebrity chefs and even film stars participate in panel discussions, book readings and workshops for 10 days.
The novels by Sheikh Sultan at the just-concluded Sharjah International Book Fair are, The White Sheikh--A Memorandum for Historians on the Innocence of Ibn Majid, and Deep-Seated Malice By Malavika Vettath SHARJAH, Nov 18 - Fulfilling demands by academics and scholars in Kerala, three books by His Highness Dr Sheikh Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Ruler of Sharjah and Member of UAE Supreme Council, have been translated and released in Malayalam, a language spoken by a large number of Indian...
Radio Mirchi won top honours at the Masala! Awards 2013, bagging the Best Radio Station award for the second time in a row by popular choice. Catering to a South Asian audience, the Hindi and English station is owned by The National's parent company Abu Dhabi Media and is known for bringing the best of Bollywood to the UAE.
His teenage fiction stories are filled with sinister happenings, crumbling graveyards and death. But the acclaimed British author Marcus Sedgwick said that he doesn't write only dark, miserable stories and that his latest, She Is Not Invisible, is actually his "happy book".
So you're all set to experiment with Indian food in Dubai. But wait, you still have to decide whether you are in the mood for some Kerala-style fish cooked in banana leaves, Goan prawn curry, Chettinad chicken roast and tamarind rice from Tamil Nadu, a vegetarian Gujarati meal, or tandoori chicken and stuffed parathas (flatbreads) from Punjab.
For years, a hot summer weekend meant making a beeline for the neighbourhood video rental shop and stocking up on the blockbusters of the time - be it Top Gun, the Rambo series or Amitabh Bachchan's Bollywood dramas.
It has been more than 60 years since he wrote his first novel, but children can't get enough of Ruskin Bond - they think the 79-year-old is "cool" and queue up for his autograph. Addressing about 300 fans at the Sharjah International Book Fair on Sunday night, the Indian writer said: "Writers don't retire - they shouldn't retire."
On Thursday night at the Sharjah International Book Fair, thousands strained to catch a glimpse of the superstar Kamal Haasan. The veteran Indian actor and filmmaker was in town to release the screenplay of his recent hit film Vishwaroopam in book form.
Her English-language novels are populated by characters who are practising Muslims grappling with cultural displacement or finding their identity in a foreign country. The Sudanese writer Leila Aboulela, who wrote her award-winning book Lyrics Alley while residing in Abu Dhabi, will appear at the Sharjah International Book Fair to share her experiences, inspirations and future works.
Dubai: Rizwan Sajan is the man with the Midas touch right now. This NRI businessman's first foray into real estate development - a cluster of 175 townhouses being built for AED 500 million ($136 million) in Dubai - sold out on the first day itself, the first such sell-out by a private developer in the UAE since the financial downturn of 2008.
Dubai: The staging of an unabridged Malayalam classic in the colours and drama of Kathakali; the rich repertoire of Koodiyattam, a 2,000-year-old Sanskrit theatre; graceful Mohiniattam; music in the Sopanam style and a percussion ensemble high on energy - this UAE capital saw a five-day-long celebration of ancient Kerala art forms. The 7th International Koodiyattam and Kathakali Festival (IKKF) saw an impressive line-up of top-notch artistes in different fields.
An Emirati interior designer has been quietly leaving her mark on international hotel brands in the UAE and airport lounges across the world. Amani Al Lauz is passionate about her day-to-day work at Emirates and excited about her latest project - the refurbished Le Méridien Al Aqah Beach Resort in Fujairah.
Eleven-year-old Dubai girl Sadhna Lakshmi Venkatesh's first trip to New Delhi is to receive a National Award from the President of India. With celebrations and felicitations lined up, the little actress sure is the toast of the town among the Indian community in this Gulf city.
Dubai, Oct 21 (IANS) He quit India's space agency many years ago to spur a revival of India's cultural traditions across the world. Today, Nataraja 'Soorya' Krishnamoorthy is busy trying to rejuvenate Kerala's age-old arts, enable folk and theatre artists to live a more dignified life and also integrate Malayali artistes living outside Kerala, especially those in the Gulf countries.
Sharjah, Nov 12 (IANS) Minister for Overseas Indian Affairs Vayalar Ravi inspected an upcoming multi-faith funeral centre for Indians on the outskirts of this city late Sunday and handed over a cheque for AED 500,000 as New Delhi's contribution to the AED 6-million ($1.65 million) project.
Sharjah, Nov 12 (IANS) Minister for Overseas Indian Affairs Minister Vayalar Ravi Sunday urged the 1.75 million Indians in the UAE to go in large numbers to the upcoming Pravasi Bharatiya Divas at Kochi and said he was just a just call away for expatriate Indians.
All the seats were taken up an hour before his show was to start. Finally, security had to be called in for crowd control. Naushad, or the Big Chef as he is fondly called in South India, was a huge crowd puller at the Sharjah International Book Fair.
The India Pavilion at the Sharjah International Book Fair has been growing over the years and this year saw almost a 500 per cent increase in publisher participation. The crowds it attracted were also huge - not just at the book stalls but also at the Meet the Author sessions it hosted, with organisers roping in noted writers including William Dalrymple, Arundhati Roy and Anupam Kher.
The audience at the Sharjah book fair was transported to the splendid Mughal Delhi of the 1850s, the cultural capital of North India under Bahadur Shah Zafar's rule, as William Dalrymple read from his book The Last Mughal and the singer Vidya Shah accompanied him with her soulful renderings.
By confessing to failing exams and mimicking teachers, Anupam Kher won quick approval from schoolchildren at last week's Sharjah International Book Fair. However, the Bollywood star wasn't speaking to them as an actor but as an inspirational author. He urged his audience to celebrate failure, stand out from the crowd, be honest and, most importantly, to dream.
It all started with a road trip through Kerala, a southern Indian state, when Abhirami Ajai was only 3 years old. An old film song was playing in the car and she picked up the tune instantly, and her father says he found the singer in her right then.
By Malavika Vettath Dubai, May 22 (IANS) This 17-year-old knew he would do well in his Grade 12 exams but becoming the ICSE topper worldwide with 99.5 percent marks was unimaginable. India-born Rohan Sampath now looks forward to joining Stanford University and unlike many brought up in Dubai, he really hopes he can return to India some day.
Afternoon DC brings the Latest & Daily News on Mumbai and in India, City news, Sports, Business, Editorial, Techno Stuff, Journey, Notes from New Delhi, Television, Bollywood, Hollywood, Legal, Town & About, Film Review, Leisure, Book Review, Spectrum, Feature, TV Guide, Coffee Break, Classified, Wrong Number - 91 22 22871616, Correct Number - 91 22 40768999
Dubai: After Saddam Hussein's long, oppressive rule and the subsequent US invasion of Iraq in 2003 that ended only last year, Iraqi and Kurdish filmmakers seem to be in a hurry to make films -- on poison gas attacks on Kurdish villages, mass graves, Iraqi bloggers and even love stories.
Dubai, April 22 (IANS) After Saddam Hussein's long, oppressive rule and the subsequent US invasion of Iraq in 2003 that ended only last year, Iraqi and Kurdish filmmakers seem to be in a hurry to make films -- on poison gas attacks on Kurdish villages, mass graves, Iraqi bloggers and even love stories.
'No movie theatres, but filmmaking a passion for these Saudis' on Yahoo News Maktoob. Dubai, April 18 (IANS) For a country where there are no movie theatres, Saudi Arabia surprisingly has a rising number of independent filmmakers passionate about cinema. And they want to bring about the change in their society.
By Malavika Vettath Dubai, July 3 (Agency) Ornate 24-carat gold canopies for the Guru Granth Sahib religious text of Sikhism, Italian marble on the walls and floor, stunning chandeliers and a five-star kitchen - Dubai's first gurdwara is a grand realisation of the aspirations of 50,000 Sikhs in the UAE.
Home Official e-zine of Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs Indian dance weaving diverse threads of divinity By Malavika Vettath Be it the classical Kathak or Kathakali, the folk Bhangra or Bihu, dance in all its varied forms is an intrinsic part of Indias rich cultural tapestry.
By Monday, December 18, 2006 | 11:42:19 AM IST (+05:30 GMT) Malavika Vettath, Indo-Asian News Service | 0 Comment New Delhi, Dec 18 (IANS) Scores of snake charmers truly charmed their way into people's hearts here by doing what they do best - playing their traditional 'been' or bulbous flute.
Kaushalya, Raja and Radha Reddy
The misery of dengue omnipresent at AIIMS H5N1 Tracking
Malayalam film "Nottam" excels. Depicting the soul of Koodiyattam - Kerala's ancient Sanskrit theatre art form, director Sashi Paravoor brings alive the art's significance both on stage and beyond it with great sensitivity. Interestingly, the film Tue, 01 Nov 2005 Malayalam film "Nottam" excels.
Rituparno Ghosh's latest Bengali venture "Dosar" is a poignant film that takes a different approach to the much-dealt with subject of infidelity. Sun, 14 May 2006 Rituparno Ghosh's latest Bengali venture "Dosar" (The Companion)" is a poignant film that takes a different approach to the much-dealt with subject of infidelity.
